the essays of montaigne, v15-第3部分

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keep　silent；　but　deny　I　cannot　without　the　greatest　trouble　and　violence
to　myself　imaginable　to　be　very　secret；　a　man　must　be　so　by　nature；　not
by　obligation。　　'Tis　little　worth；　in　the　service　of　a　prince；　to　be
secret；　if　a　man　be　not　a　liar　to　boot。　　If　he　who　asked　Thales　the
Milesian　whether　he　ought　solemnly　to　deny　that　he　had　committed
adultery；　had　applied　himself　to　me；　I　should　have　told　him　that　he　ought
not　to　do　it；　for　I　look　upon　lying　as　a　worse　fault　than　the　other。
Thales　advised　him　quite　contrary；　bidding　him　swear　to　shield　the
greater　fault　by　the　less；

　　　　　＇Montaigne's　memory　here　serves　him　ill；　for　the　question　being　put
　　　　　to　Thales；　his　answer　was：　〃But　is　not　perjury　worse　than
　　　　　adultery？〃Diogenes　Laertius；　in　vita；　i。　36。＇

nevertheless；　this　counsel　was　not　so　much　an　election　as　a
multiplication　of　vice。　　Upon　which　let　us　say　this　in　passing；　that　we
deal　liberally　with　a　man　of　conscience　when　we　propose　to　him　some
difficulty　in　counterpoise　of　vice；　but　when　we　shut　him　up　betwixt　two
vices；　he　is　put　to　a　hard　choice　as　Origen　was　either　to　idolatrise　or
to　suffer　himself　to　be　carnally　abused　by　a　great　Ethiopian　slave　they
brought　to　him。　　He　submitted　to　the　first　condition；　and　wrongly；　people
say。　　Yet　those　women　of　our　times　are　not　much　out；　according　to　their
error；　who　protest　they　had　rather　burden　their　consciences　with　ten　men
than　one　mass。

If　it　be　indiscretion　so　to　publish　one's　errors；　yet　there　is　no　great
danger　that　it　pass　into　example　and　custom；　for　Ariston　said；　　that　the
winds　men　most　fear　are　those　that　lay　them　open。　　We　must　tuck　up　this
ridiculous　rag　that　hides　our　manners：　they　send　their　consciences　to　the
stews；　and　keep　a　starched　countenance：　even　traitors　and　assassins
espouse　the　laws　of　ceremony；　and　there　fix　their　duty。　　So　that　neither
can　injustice　complain　of　incivility；　nor　malice　of　indiscretion。　　'Tis
pity　but　a　bad　man　should　be　a　fool　to　boot；　and　that　outward　decency
should　palliate　his　vice：　this　rough…cast　only　appertains　to　a　good　and
sound　wall；　that　deserves　to　be　preserved　and　whited。

In　favour　of　the　Huguenots；　who　condemn　our　auricular　and　private
confession；　I　confess　myself　in　public；　religiously　and　purely：　St。
Augustin；　Origeti；　and　Hippocrates　have　published　the　errors　of　their
opinions；　I；　moreover；　of　my　manners。　　I　am　greedy　of　making　myself
known；　and　I　care　not　to　how　many；　provided　it　be　truly；　or　to　say
better；　I　hunger　for　nothing；　but　I　mortally　hate　to　be　mistaken　by　those
who　happen　to　learn　my　name。　　He　who　does　all　things　for　honour　and
glory；　what　can　he　think　to　gain　by　shewing　himself　to　the　world　in　a
vizor；　and　by　concealing　his　true　being　from　the　people？　　Praise　a
humpback　for　his　stature；　he　has　reason　to　take　it　for　an　affront：
if　you　are　a　coward；　and　men　commend　you　for　your　valour；　is　it　of　you
they　speak？　　They　take　you　for　another。　　I　should　like　him　as　well　who
glorifies　himself　in　the　compliments　and　congees　that　are　made　him　as　if
he　were　master　of　the　company；　when　he　is　one　of　the　least　of　the　train。
Archelaus；　king　of　Macedon；　walking　along　the　street；　somebody　threw
water　on　his　head；　which　they　who　were　with　him　said　he　ought　to　punish：
〃Aye；　but；〃　said　he；　〃whoever　it　was；　he　did　not　throw　the　water　upon　me；
but　upon　him　whom　he　took　me　to　be。〃　　Socrates　being　told　that　people
spoke　ill　of　him；　〃Not　at　all；〃　said　he；　〃there　is　nothing；　in　me　of　what
they　say。〃

For　my　part；　if　any　one　should　recommend　me　as　a　good　pilot；　as　being
very　modest　or　very　chaste；　I　should　owe　him　no　thanks；　and　so；　whoever
should　call　me　traitor；　robber；　or　drunkard；　I　should　be　as　little
concerned。　　They　who　do　not　rightly　know　themselves；　may　feed　themselves
with　false　approbations；　not　I；　who　see　myself；　and　who　examine　myself
even　to　my　very　bowels；　and　who　very　well　know　what　is　my　due。　　I　am
content　to　be　less　commended；　provided　I　am　better　known。　　I　may　be
reputed　a　wise　man　in　such　a　sort　of　wisdom　as　I　take　to　be　folly。
I　am　vexed　that　my　Essays　only　serve　the　ladies　for　a　common　piece　of
furniture；　and　a　piece　for　the　hall；　this　chapter　will　make　me　part　of
the　water…closet。　　I　love　to　traffic　with　them　a　little　in　private；
public　conversation　is　without　favour　and　without　savour。　　In　farewells；
we　oftener　than　not　heat　our　affections　towards　the　things　we　take　leave
of；　I　take　my　last　leave　of　the　pleasures　of　this　world：　these　are　our
last　embraces。

But　let　us　come　to　my　subject：　what　has　the　act　of　generation；　so
natural；　so　necessary；　and　so　just；　done　to　men；　to　be　a　thing　not　to
be　spoken　of　without　blushing；　and　to　be　excluded　from　all　serious　and
moderate　discourse？　　　We　boldly　pronounce　kill；　rob；　betray；　and　that　we
dare　only　to　do　betwixt　the　teeth。　　Is　it　to　say；　the　less　we　expend　in
words；　we　may　pay　so　much　the　more　in　thinking？　　For　it　is　certain　that
the　words　least　in　use；　most　seldom　written；　and　best　kept　in；　are　the
best　and　most　generally　known：　no　age；　no　manners；　are　ignorant　of　them；
no　more　than　the　word　bread　they　imprint　themselves　in　every　one　without
being；　expressed；　without　voice；　and　without　figure；　and　the　sex　that
most　practises　it　is　bound　to　say　least　of　it。　　'Tis　an　act　that　we　have
placed　in　the　franchise　of　silence；　from　which　to　take　it　is　a　crime　even
to　accuse　and　judge　it；　neither　dare　we　reprehend　it　but　by　periphrasis
and　picture。　　A　great　favour　to　a　criminal　to　be　so　execrable　that
justice　thinks　it　unjust　to　touch　and　see　him；　free；　and　safe　by　the
benefit　of　the　severity　of　his　condemnation。　　Is　it　not　here　as　in　matter
of　books；　that　sell　better　and　become　more　public　for　being　suppressed？
For　my　part；　I　will　take　Aristotle　at　his　word；　who　says；　that
〃bashfulness　is　an　ornament　to　youth；　but　a　reproach　to　old　age。〃　　These
verses　are　preached　in　the　ancient　school；　a　school　that　I　much　more
adhere　to　than　the　modern：　its　virtues　appear　to　me　to　be　greater；　and
the　vices　less：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Ceux　qui　par　trop　fuyant　Venus　estrivent；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Faillent　autant　que　ceulx　qui　trop　la　suyvent。〃

　　　　　＇〃They　err　as　much　who　too　much　forbear　Venus；　as　they　who　are　too
　　　　　frequent　in　her　rites。〃A　translation　by　Amyot　from　Plutarch；　A
　　　　　philosopher　should　converse　with　princes。＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Tu；　dea；　rerum　naturam　sola　gubernas；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nec　sine　to　quicquam　dias　in　luminis　oras
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Exoritur；　neque　fit　laetum；　nec　amabile　quidquam。〃

　　　　　＇〃Goddess；　still　thou　alone　governest　nature；　nor　without　thee
　　　　　anything　comes　into　light；　nothing　is　pleasant；　nothing　joyful。〃
　　　　　Lucretius；　i。　22。＇

I　know　not　who　could　set　Pallas　and　the　Muses　at　variance　with　Venus；　and
make　them　cold　towards　Love；　but　I　see　no　deities　so　well　met；　or　that
are　more　indebted　to　one　another。　　Who　will　deprive　the　Muses　of　amorous
imaginations；　will　rob　them　of　the　best　entertainment　they　have；　and　of
the　noblest　matter　of　their　work：　and　who　will　make　Love　lose　the
communication　and　service　of　poesy；　will　disarm　him　of　his　best　weapons：
by　this　means　they　charge　the　god　of　familiarity　and　good　will；　and　the
protecting　goddesses　of　h